Leaving the European Union would fuel Argentinian aggression towards the Falkland Islands, a senior representative from the territory has warned.

Sukey Cameron, the Falkland Islands government representative in the UK, said an Out vote “might encourage Argentina to be much more aggressive”.

She also warned that Brexit could be “catastrophic” to Islanders because about 70 per cent of their economic growth is dependent on access to the EU market.

The warnings were contained in a new report from a cross-party group of MPs attempting to give “reliable, unbiased analysis” of Britain’s EU membership ahead of the referendum.

Falkland Islands

It includes evidence from Ms Cameron about the possibly impact of an Out vote on the Falkland Islands, which the UK went to war to reclaim from Argentina in 1982.

She said: “The Argentine claim to the Falkland Islands, and the propaganda campaign waged by the Government of Argentina, takes up a large amount of both FI [Falkland Islands] Government and UK Government time and effort.”

Ms Cameron added: “The provisions of the Treaty of Rome, and its successor Treaties, provides HMG/FIG [Falkland Islands Government] with considerable certainty and support from EU Member States because of these provisions.

“Were the UK no longer a member of the EU that support would be much less certain from a large number of those EU Member States, and might encourage Argentina to be much more aggressive in its approach.”

Section Four of the Treaty of Rome, signed in 1958, lists the Falkland Islands as a dependent territory of Britain.

The claims that the Falkland Islands are safer with Britain inside the EU than outside is likely to be challenged by eurosceptics, some of whom have argued the opposite.

The Falkland Islands - by numbers

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Col Richard Kemp, who commanded UK troops in Afghanistan, said last month the creation of an EU Army was inevitable and would undermine Britain’s ability to defend the Falklands

He told The Telegraph: “There would never be consensus for an EU military operation to retake the Falklands. It could not happen. Therefore the Falklands could not be retaken or indeed defended if it was invaded again by Argentina."

Jeremy Corbyn speaks about The Falklands on BBC Daily Politics

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Ms Cameron also feared the economic impact of Brexit on the Falklands, saying: “We would like to state in clear terms that any material change that results in less beneficial import/export access to the European market could be potentially catastrophic for the Falkland Islands economy and people.”

In the report, produced by the Commons Foreign Affairs committee, warnings about the impact of an Out vote were also raised by the government of Gibraltar.

"In Gibraltar's case, experience has shown that Spain would take advantage of any such renegotiation in order to further undermine, isolate and exclude Gibraltar from the European mainstream,” a statement from their government read.

MPs also concluded that the there was “no mutual interest” in a deal on free trade being completed between the EU and the UK within two years after an Out vote.

Crispin Blunt, the committee chairman and Eurosceptic Tory MP, said: "The referendum offers the British people a once-in-a-generation opportunity to chart a course for the UK's role in the world.

“Voters should consider not only the short-term consequences of staying or leaving but the long-term opportunities and challenges."